Revised 7/10/2017. Copyright @2017; The following Documentary Timeline has been compiled and created by Paul Rhetts. It may be copied for research purposes; but it may not be reproduced for inclusion in any printed or electronic distribution of any kind without the express written permission of the author. Any requests to use this information should be sent to Paul Rhetts, LPDPress@q.com.


Thomas NICHOLSON (1715-1780) m. (1) Mary Jane HILL (1742-1772); (2) Sarah Smith NIXON (1742-1801)
s/o Christopher NICHOLSON (1685-1722) and Mary POOL (1683-1749)
1-d/o William Thomas HILL (1675-1749) and Mary Ann SPIVEY (1675-1770)
2-d/o John SMITH and Rachel WHITE (widow of Thomas NIXON)
p/o Miriam NICHOLSON (1738-1744)


Thomas Nicholson, a prominent landowner, merchant, Quaker missionary, and author in Perquimans County addressed an open letter to his co-religionists a year before the Western Quarter requested that the Yearly Meeting clarify the society's position on slave trading. The contents of Nicholson's letter, with its dual focus on the wrong that slavery does to the slave and the harm it does to the slaveholder, reflects the reform sentiment then spreading through American Quakerdom. Nicholson acknowledges the difficulty that the law presented to anyone seeking to free his slaves, but his proposal of a form of gradual emancipation did not offer a truly practical way around the legal hurdle. [Letter from Thos. Nicholson to Robert Pleasants. Includes a "; decree of the Supreme Court in favour of Negroes sold in Carolina" in regards to manumitted slaves being sold into a second bondage. 1778-11-02] Little River Perquimans County No. Carolina 25th 11th Moth. 1778. Dear Friend Robert Pleasants, With the salutation of true love these lines may Inform thee that I received thy acceptable Letter on th 3
rd Instant with the epistles; papers therin enclosed which were satisfactory and Intend to lay them before the Quarterly Meeting the last of this month as to thy Request for Information what hath been done in relation to the negroes Sold into a second Bondage the following judgement of the Superior Court will Fully Inform thee Viz. State of North Carolina Edonton District "; At a Superior Court of Law begun and held for the District of Edenton at the Court House at Edenton on Monday the Second Day of November in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Seventy Eight. I obedience to a [Certiorain?] Issued by an order of this court to the Clerk of the County of Perquimans relative to the sale of certain negroes manumitted by Divers persons of the Sect called Quakers the said proceedings being duly returned and Certified and arguments having been heard. The Court for Divers and manifest [?] gulantries in the face of the Records Certified and because it appears to them that the said County Court in such their proceedings have Exceeded their jurisdiction, violated the rights of the subjects and acted in direct opposition of the Bill of Rights of this State Considered justly as apart of the constitution thereof, by [Giving?] a law not intended to afffect this case a Retrospective Opperation thereby to Deprive freemen of this srare of their Liberty Contrary to the Laws of the Land. Ordered therefore that the proceedings so Certified be [qualified?] and held as null &; void. Copy from the minutes, Wm. Righton doe Cha. Bondfield [?] Two Coppy Some of the purchasers seem inclinable to let their negroes have their Liberty and others are sending them away in a private manner. So that it is not yet known fully how matters will terminate. I have been much indisposed both in Body and Mind since I saw thee last and have lately buried two small children and my wife in but a poor state of health at present who joyns? with me in the salute of Love to self and family and Remain thy affectionate friend, Thomas Nicholson


1715 Thomas Nicholson born [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p 80 says 1714]

1 Jun 1715 Mary Jane HILL born in Pasquotank, NC [one source says 1742, but that cannot be correct if she married in 1733] [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy, p. 109.] [another source says 1705]

23 May 1723 Thomas’ father Christopher NICHOLSON died in Perquimans, NC

18 April 1733 Thomas NICHOLSON and Mary Jane HILL married in Perquimans, NC [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80] [one source says 7 Feb 1732; US Quaker Meeting Records list 4 Apr 1733 in Perquimans MM (3doc)]

28 Feb 1734 Christopher Nicholson born in Pasquotank, NC; died 11 Oct 1793; married Susannah MORRIS [North Carolina, Wills and Probate Records (doc)] [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80] (He was given permission 1 March 1753 to marry Susannah Morris, daughter of Aaron Morris and Mary Pritchard. He was married/2 5 on October 1758 to Mary Henley, who was born 7d ?m 1736, daughter of John Henley and Mary Jordan)

15 Apr 1736 Joseph Nicholson born; died 6 Nov 1772 [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80] (He was married 2 July 1755 to C-3. Mehetabell Nixon, who was born 15 November 1738, daughter of Zachariah Nixon (4) and Elizabeth Nicholson.)

12 May 1738 Miriam Nicholson born in Pasquotank, NC; married Lancelot BELL 14 Mar 1759; died 24 Jan 1774 [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80]

7 Jun 1741 Nicholas Nicholson born in Pasquotank, NC [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80]; married Sarah WHITE, dau of Thomas WHITE 17 Nov 1762 (He was married 1 December 1762 to Sarah White, born 10-7-1742, died 22 April 1800, daughter of Thomas White and Rachel Jordan)

3 Jun 1744 Mary Nicholson born in Pasquotank, NC; died 23 Jan 1772; married John MORRIS 20 Jan 1762 [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80]

21 Aug 1748 Caroline Nicholson born in Pasquotank, NC; died 16 Oct 1753 [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80]

1 Jan 1752 Margaret Nicholson born in Pasquotank, NC; died 17 Dec 1780 [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80]

1 Mar 1756 Thomas NICHOLSON listed in Quaker Meeting Records for Perquimans – misc event (doc)


5 Apr 1757 Thomas NICHOLSON listed in Quaker Meeting Records for Perquimans – misc event (doc)

27 May 1761 Thomas NICHOLSON listed in Quaker Meeting Records for Perquimans – misc event (doc)

17 Mar 1762 Thomas NICHOLSON listed in Quaker Meeting Records for Perquimans – Admittance (doc)

30 Mar 1768 Sarah SMITH married Thomas NIXON who died 2 Nov 1771

23 Jan 1772 Mary Jane HILL died in Perquimans, NC [one source says 1801] Quaker Meeting Records for Pasquotank MM list 27 Nov 1770 – death (doc)

16 Dec 1772 Thomas NICHOLSON and Sarah NIXON list marriage intentions at Symons Creek MM [US Quaker Meeting Records list 4 Apr 1733 in Pasquotank MM (doc)] [Thomas NICHOLSON listed in Quaker Meeting Records for Symons Creek MM for 24 May 1773 – Marriage (doc)

24 Jan 1773 Thomas Nicholson and Sarah Smith NIXON married at Perquimans, NC [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80]

26 Feb 1774 son Thomas NICHOLSON born at Pasquotank, NC [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80] (Thomas Nicholson (4), born 26 February 1774, rmt (reported married to) 1 October 1796 Sarah White; rmt 17 April 1802 Esther White; No known children)

19 Feb 1776 son Benjamin NICHOLSON born at Pasquotank, NC [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80]; died 29 Oct 1778 at 10am)

22 May 1778 son Jacob NICHOLSON born at Pasquotank, NC [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80]; died 2 Nov 1778 at abt 3am

2 Nov 1778 Thomas Nicholson letter to Robert Pleasants regarding gradual emancipation of slaves (see transcript]

4 Mar 1780 Thomas Nicholson died age 65 [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80] (died on 7
th day of week at 9am) [Eastern Quarterly Quaker Meeting Records list his death (doc)] [Symons Creek MM Meeting Record – Death (2doc)]

30 May 1787 Sarah Smith NIXON died [William Wade Hinshaw, Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy p80] (also states she was widow of Thomas NIXON, a minister 15yrs)


An answer to the layman's treatise on baptism: in which the author is pleased to say, that the Quaker doctrine of water baptism is considered, their objections answered, and the doctrine of the Church of England, upon that important point, stated and vindicated. / By Thomas Nicholson, author


1 1767 Thomas Nicholson Urges Gradual Emancipation Thomas Nicholson (1715–1780), a prominent landowner, merchant, Quaker missionary, and author in Perquimans County addressed the following open letter to his co-religionists a year before the Western Quarter requested that the Yearly Meeting clarify the society’s position on slave trading .The contents of Nicholson’s letter, with its dual focus on the wrong that slavery does to the slave and the harm it does to the slaveholder, reflects the reform sentiment then spreading through American Quakerdom. Nicholson acknowledges the difficulty that the law presents to anyone seeking to free his slaves, but his proposal of a form of gradual emancipation does not offer a truly practical way around the legal hurdle.7 Thomas Nicholson’s Open Letter to North Carolina Friends Source: Society Miscellaneous Collection, Box 11, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 6 mo. 1st: 1767 To any judicious and enquiring Friend I have for many Years been much distressed in my mind on account of Negroes remaining Slaves in our Society for several Reasons , First, being convinced in my Judgment that the Slave Trade is a very wicked and abominable Practice, contrary to the natural Rights and Privileges of all mankind, and against the Golden Rule of doing to others as we would be done unto.— Secondly, fully believing that they prove a Snare to Friends’ Children , by being made use of as Nurseries to pride, Idleness and a 73 74 · Part II. The Society of Friends in North Carolina Chooses Manumission Lording Spirit over our Fellow Creatures, and oftentimes by their contrary Behaviour prove Provocations to Masters and Mistresses to anger Passion and unsavory Expressions to the wounding of their Spirits.— Thirdly it appears to me to be a Contradiction to our peaceable Principle and Testimony against Wars and Fighting, under a Gospel Dispensation, to keep Captives taken by the Sword against their own free will and Consent, and that if our own negroes should ever be concerned in rising to endeavour to recover their Freedom it would be ungrateful in us towards our Fellow Subjects to refuse our Assistance to subdue them. Fourthly where true Endeavours have been used to inculcate Principles of true Religion Piety and Virtue in them for the good of their Souls, it hath appeared to me to have had but a small effect and looks to me that it will remain to be the Case with all such in whom the Seeds of Discontent and uneasiness remain under a Sense of their State of Bondage and Slavery.— Now let any thoughtful person seriously consider whether it is not reasonable to suppose that any person convinced in their Judgment of the above Evils and Difficulties, and at the same Time in possession (mostly by Inheritance and breeding in their Families) of eighteen or twenty of them aggravated by the Laws of the province to sell them at public Sale to the highest Bidder, and the Mony to be put to the use of the Parish, if freed by their Master or Mistress, excepting for meritorious Causes to be allowed of by the County Court, and I think they must Sympathize with me in my Distress of mind, Upon the whole I think I can honestly say that on the Terms of any Expedient being fallen upon to let them have their Freedom on reasonable and lawful Terms I am willing to give up mine, and until such a Method can be fallen upon there is nothing that appears to me to be more safe and expedient in the present Distress than for those that have them (that are willing to live with them and behave themselves well) to keep them and use them well, and after a reasonable number of Years of Servitude to defray the Cost or Charges of raising them, to make them free under proper Guardians and Restrictions to keep them from becoming a public Charge or Offense to Government, and such as behave badly, and are not content to live with their present Masters or Mistresses, to be sold to other masters or mistresses, in 1. 1767: Thomas Nicholson Urges Gradual Emancipation · 75 which all reasonable Regard ought to be paid to the Choice of the said Slaves with their new master or mistress. And as it is evident that the burnt Child dreads the Fire, and none knows so well where the Shoe pinches as those that wear it I should think it expedient for Friends to...


Sources: Book:Some Colonial and Revolutionary Families of North Carolina, Volume I - personal copy; Marilu Burch Smallwood; Volume I Published by the Author, 1964;
Book:History of Perquimans Co; Winslow; Referenced in SCRFNC by MBS;